Indie Manager Spotlight – Danielle Thornton

Part 4 of our “Indie Manager Spotlight” features Danielle Thornton, who manages Queens MC Eric Sosa. I LOVE her bubbly personality and positive attitude, and it’s obvious upon first meeting her how driven she is to work with her artist. Enjoy…

What made you decide to get into artist management, and why did you choose the artist(s) you work with?

Sos [Eric Sosa] was the one who actually saw my potential. (Not that I’ve reached it yet. LOL) But, I never saw what he saw in me. We’ve been best friends for years and I’ve been a fan for even longer than that. I guess you can say I saw his potential as well. It was during a time when he wanted to recover from a bad experience with management that he thought to ask me. I remember him saying “I know you can do this.” I would say I decided “to get into artist management” when Sosa Management Corp. was formed, by then everything just became so natural.

Eric Sosa

What are the pros & cons of managing an independent artist?

Pros: You’re in control. Any and everything done is a reflection of your artist’s talent/creative process, the planning and the hard work. With great talent, you can almost write your own destiny. The more your independent success is achieved, the more gratifying the journey, so when you’re finally at that table with a contract and people in suits across from you, it’s because you worked THAT hard to get there.

Cons: Breaking the stereotypes. Getting noticed.

What, in your opinion, does it take to be a great manager?

I think the ability to actually listen is a great START towards being a great manager. When I say listen I mean hear something and then retain it, to the point that you can reference it at anytime. This plays a big role in your relationship with your artist. If you’re not in tune with their goals, fears, dreams etc. then you have no business managing anyone.

Can you share some memorable experiences from your journeys with your artist?

Funny, so many memories just passed through my mind, too many to mention. But I’d say in general, the most memorable experiences thus far, involve stopping and remembering when an outlandish idea went from some scribbled on a piece of paper to a reality. Whether that idea took 1 week or 6 months to bring to life, you were a big part of making it real.

If there was one thing you could change about your experience as a manager, what would it be?

There are so many ways to answer this. I think now, more so then ever, the big change is the ability to become numb to instances that would’ve otherwise affected my mood, character or drive. This business gave me tougher skin, and not because I’ve experienced a lot but also because I’m listening and taking mental notes on everything that pertains to this industry and are happening around me.

What are some accomplishments your artist has achieved since you came on board?

By my standards, when momentum is being built at such a fast pace that adding more members to an already close knit team is next equals accomplishment. Again, that’s just me. But… my artist performing at venues all across his native New York including clothing boutiques (Format, Wealthy hostage, The Touring Company), Best Buy, MCU Park at the famous Coney Island, just to name a few and being featured as the only performer of an evening or a headline are big accomplishments to me as well . Recognition by peers also is high on that list.